Tag Archives: New Zealand

Whangapoua

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‘Harbour of the Shellfish’ is the translation from Maori, of Whangapoa; a beautiful bay and estuary, rich with shellfish and native bush. Evidence suggests it may have been the first arrival point of humans in New Zealand, when intrepid Polynesian explorers arrived here 900 years ago, having sailed the Pacific in dug-out canoes. And it’s no wonder they decided to settle here.

Many people are still making the most of the natural bounties and beauties in the area, including my kiwi family. My aunty and uncle own a bach, or holiday getaway here (pronounced as in batch of scones, rather than cello suite in G major). They have done an amazing job: building a little house on the land; an outdoor pizza oven, and making the garden and outdoor areas generally lovely. After an evening making the most of the beauty, booze, food and views, I woke to a gorgeous sunrise, snoozed a bit more, laced up my trainers and was ready for another run with my dad.

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It was a glorious morning and we ran down to the main road into Whangapoa, making our way along to the jetty. I’ve found the weather here in New Zealand to be just my cup of tea; hot but not too hot, not muggy or humid, and with a cool breeze when you need it. I swear my health and beauty has flourished in the past week thanks to this, even with the plentiful wine and luxurious food I’ve enjoyed. I seem to have got more tanned here in one week than in the whole 15 weeks in South America, and I haven’t even tried!

It was bank holiday weekend and the road and jetty was abuzz with other weekenders: fishing, boating, canoeing, running and cycling. How better to spend a long weekend than in the great outdoors? And the outdoors is certainly great here in New Zealand! After our run (ending on the killer hill back up to the bach), the day was spent on the beautiful Matarangi beach with all the family. Then another night at the bach with fresh pizzas and flowing drinks.

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I enjoyed and extra long sleep and woke to see my dad in his running gear, ready to kick start the day with another run. We headed away from the coast and towards the areas of forest inland. Green fields and rolling hills surrounded us, a field of lambs and a ram stopped and stared as we passed. I had forgotten what a beautiful country New Zealand is in my 13 years away. I can’t wait to see more of it, especially if I make it to the South Island.

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After an hour or so running, ending with the mega hill back up to the bach (which I managed second time around!), my legs were pleasingly achy for the rest of the weekend and I indulged in more kiwi culinary delights including the biggest ice cream I’ve ever eaten!

Auckland

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From Peru to New Zealand in less than a day (but kind of in 2, given the time difference). I landed at 4am on Wednesday and spent the day napping, hiding from the rain and trying to work out what time it is in various countries. So why NZ? The largest chunk of my year around the world will be spent here, working and saving some much needed cash for further travels. I chose NZ because aside from it being a beautiful, fun and friendly place to live for 6 months or so, it is where my Dad is from. So with half my family here and a dual citizenship waiting to be made the most of, I’ve been excited to get here and rediscover my kiwi side. After 13 years away I am so excited to be back!

For the second time on my trip my longing for home, family and friends has been alleviated by a visiting faraway face; this time, my Dad. Aside from gifting me with kiwi heritage (and passport!), I have inherited my running legs from my Dad. Despite now being 60, he is a running force to be reckoned with! I seriously doubt there will ever be a point in our lives that I will pep him to the finish line in a race. So who better to have as a running partner; to whip me back into shape after my running schedule has become a bit too relaxed over the last 15 weeks?

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I woke soon after dawn to weather in contrast to yesterday; the sun beating down and a pleasing breeze puffing. We hit the road from my aunty and uncle’s house in Browns Bay, a suburb of Auckland where my Dad grew up as a kid. Within a few minutes we were down at Browns Bay beach, sharing the scene with just a handful of other early birds. From the beach you can see over to Rangitoto Island; a volcanic island whose silhouette is etched into my memory from my time living close to it as a child. In my 2 days here so far, so many things have triggered memories of NZ which have drifted dormant in my brain for years: the taste of hokey pokey ice cream; the whistling of cicadas in the trees; the thrill of wearing no shoes when I went to school…

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Our run took us past Browns Bay and on to Waiake Bay, another little beach facing Rangitoto. My Dad was my personal guide and historian en-route, pointing out his and my aunty’s old school (Browns Bay School), his old Scout Hut (still there after 50 or more years), and showing how the area has developed from being largely covered in wild bush, to a busy and built-up town. Despite my various hilly runs in SA (Bogota and Mindo spring to mind), undulating Auckland and in particular Deep Creek Road got my lungs and legs pumping; I was feeling the burn! After a faster and longer run than I’ve been attempting recently (nevertheless a breeze for my Dad), we made it back to the house for a (rather rosy) post-run selfie before cooling down.

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